Duane's Syndrome

[futbolplayer]

Ok, this is a rather complicated siutation but I am going to try to explain my best.  I am a 19 year old with duane's and have lived with it my whole life.  I had previously never felt in any way limited by this disorder, besides having trouble looking at things to my extreme right (right eye is duane's eye).   I was an excellent basketball and soccer player in high school, and won 3 state champonships. I really didn't realize I had duane's until my doctor told me.  I knew I had to turn my head around alot to look, but that was about it.  Anyway, in the past few months things have changed a lot.  I cannot look around like I used to and it literally feels uncomfortable try to look to my right.  I used to love hanging out in large crowds, but honestly feel so uncomfortable doing so now becase I cannot look around good.  I also have developed some subte double vision when I look around.  If I am watching t.v and I go to look at something on the screen, the image will jump around before it goes into focus.  It is almost like things Im trying to look at have a trial. I have also noticed if I close my left eye (good eye) and look around with my duane's eye, everything moves around a lot and feels unstable.  (run your mouse across the screen really fast, that trial is basically what is see when I try to look at objects.)  Anyway, I went to my optomestrist because this is making me feel very uncomfortable.  He said I am lucky to have my eyes straight when I look ahead and to live with it.  At that point, I was pissed, told him to try to live with it, and walked out of the appointment.  

I have a couple questions:

1. What could have brought about this change?  I have really bad ocular allergies, which I am trying to figure out the cause.  My eyebrow and eyelid region is extremely swollen up and causes a fair amount of discomfort.  This problem with duane's happened a couple months after I developed the bad allergies, could this be the cause?

2. It seems like my duanes eye just doesn't work like it used to, could it possible have weakened?  Would strengthening exercises fix this?

3.what do you recommend I do? My doctors day surgery is out of the question because of how alligned my eyes are What other options do I have?  This double vision and lack of ability to look around is very frustrating.  I want to be able to feel comfortable in busy environments again.  I really dont think I could player soccer like I used to.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

At this point on ly  an exam by a Eye MD can help you or answer your questions. Find a good strabismus ophthalmologist.

JCH MD

[futbolplayer]

my issue is not one field of gaze.  I know if I look to my extreme right I will get double vision.  I have accepted that ever since I was a kid and compensated no problem. Infact,if  I was to look at something to my extreme right, I have learned to look at the ground while Im turning my head,and then look up and I will have no double vision.   The issue is now with any slight head movement, I get subtle double vision.  I feel I have to just look straight forward at all times now, and this feels very very uncomfortable.  It has made socializing a billion times harder for me now. I cannot look at somebody and shake my head (like im disagreeing with something they say) without getting double vision.  This is becoming a real issue. I feel as if I would rather have my right eye just closed, so I can look around comfortabley.  What options do I have for this?  Can surgery be done for this? Would glasses with prisms help?  something needs to be done, this is becoming way to limiting.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Surgery is usually done when the eyes have double vision looking straight ahead but not in one field of gaze. the surgery is mainly to try and move the single vision part to the straight ahead position.

JCH MD

[dukey]

I have read that surgey may be helpful later in life as head (and eye) position may change over time. Would this be useful here doc?

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

1.  Duane's changes as people age, sometimes for the better often for the worse. Not your allergies.
2. No exercise won't help.
3. You should NOT BE UNDER THE CARE OF AN OPTOMETRIST.  Go to www.aao.org and find a eye muscle Eye MD specialist (called a pediatric ophthalmologist   eye muscle problems are called strabismus).  Only be seeing an Eye MD physician strabismus specialist can you be sure that you are doing everything possible for your condition.

JCH MD